The Only Exception
by Rawr-Chan
Summary: When Adrielle Tivian's father dies, her godfather Mark takes her in to make sure she doesn't shut down much like she did when her mother died. Little does he and all of WWE know, the supposedly deaf girl has a secret. A big one. She's not actually deaf!
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: **I know, I know! Another story, right? Well I just can't help myself! This one has been floating around in my head for a while and is very, very loosely inspired by the movie _The Quiet_. I own neither The Quiet nor anyone from the WWE (sadly). I hope you enjoy it.

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The Only Exception

Prologue

Adrielle Tivian slid down the wall and cried. Heart-wrenching sobs that made her shoulders shiver and her whole body quake. No one bothered to comfort her for a few minutes, and then she felt someone that she knew was the man she called her Uncle Mark sink down to the floor slowly beside her and pull her in close to him, pressing his lips to the top of her head and trying to envelop her with his comforting presence. He didn't bother whispering soothing things. There was no point. His goddaughter was deaf.

At least, that's what he and everyone else here thought. Adrielle suspected that maybe her father had known, but he had seemed happy to keep pretending. It didn't matter anymore though. That's why she was crying. Thomas Tivian was dead. Hit by a car.

Thomas Tivian _was_ deaf. Always had been. Nonetheless though, he'd found the woman he loved and married her. She wasn't deaf, but she learned sign language to talk to him, and if she spoke slowly he could read her lips well enough. They didn't need words to communicate anyway- Thomas and Jamia Tivian knew each other inside out.

Adrielle had full hearing when she was born, but she was taught sign language while she was growing up and was quite well spoken, as well as an expert at signing. She was 15 when disaster struck. Her mother died. It wasn't entirely unexpected- her mother had been battling cancer for some time but they all had hoped for the best. The loss hit her hard, and after watching the way everyone around her struggled with grieving for her mother… she made a choice. She wanted to be alone. To be invisible. Adrielle Tivian didn't want anyone to cry when she died.

For a while she just shut down completely. Then eventually, she only signed and tried to forget that she could hear the world around her. The specialists said it sometimes happened, when someone experienced a great trauma. So now everyone thought she was deaf and the only person in the world who might have known the truth was gone.

It felt as though a piece of her was being torn right out of her soul. Especially since it felt like her fault. They had been out together, had just finished breakfast. Adrielle had gone to use the bathroom and her father had said he would meet her across the street. She didn't worry. Why would she? The man had crossed many streets in his lifetime and he had been fine. This time was different though.

Her world had been turned on its head when she walked out of that bathroom. She noticed the commotion in the street right away. She ran outside- though not a sound escaped her, and she pushed through the crowd. There she saw her father, lying on the pavement with blood trickling from his ears. She had fallen to her knees, ever silent as the tears welled up in her eyes.

He'd walked out into the street but he hadn't heard the car coming or its horn when it blasted. If only she had been there… she would have heard it. It was her fault. All her fault he was gone.

But then… now she truly was alone. She could disappear, be invisible and go and join her father. She didn't want to be a member of this world anymore- she had already checked out as far as she could go. However, Mark had other plans. He had seen the way Adrielle shut down after Jamia died and he knew it could and most likely would happen again if he didn't intervene.

Adrielle and her father were very close, the man knew his daughter inside out and Mark knew that without him around… she may just give up altogether. With that thought in his head, he leaned back a little so that he knew she could see him, and spoke slowly so that she could read his lips.

"You're coming with me."

She stared at him blankly for a moment, with wet swollen eyes, and eventually she leaned back into him and just held the man close. She didn't want to be close with anyone, but perhaps traveling with her Uncle Mark would be the best way to disappear from the rest of the world. No one had to know that she wasn't deaf; no one had to know that she just wanted to be invisible; she just had to be those things.

~!~

The young woman in the back of the car roused when she realised that it was no longer moving. Slowly, she sat up in her seat and ran a hand through her dark, shoulder length hair. This was it. This was the hotel. This was her first day traveling with her Uncle Mark. Yet she felt nothing. The 22 year old felt absolutely nothing other than the hope that everyone would just ignore the 'poor little deaf girl.'

She slid out of the seat, silent as Mark appeared by her side to put the bags temporarily beside her so he could shut the boot and lock the car. Once it was done he picked up both their bags and she didn't fight him on it, simply following him into the hotel.

It wasn't as simple as just checking in of course. The moment they were standing at the elevator, waiting for it, someone was calling for Mark. She didn't start, far too used to ignoring voices to break her cover now. Instead she stared at the elevator buttons, waiting for the right one to light up.

"Taker!" The man jogged over and offered the bigger man a smile. To her surprise, Mark smiled back, though she only caught the action out of the corner of her eye.

"Hunter." He greeted in a calm, even voice.

"So this is your goddaughter?"

"Oh yes." With this, Mark tapped the girls arm, "Adrielle," He started, when she looked up at him- his signing was rusty- "This is Hunter." Then he gestured to the man beside him.

"Nice to meet you," He said, offering the girl his hand. She allowed her eyes to study his lips as he spoke, reaching out tentatively to shake his hand.

"I don't know if you remember me saying it, but she's deaf." Mark explained.

"Oh yes, you did." Just then the elevator doors opened, though Adrielle waited for some indication to be given to her, still watching Hunter. "Well then, I had better let you two go. I'll talk to you later about some ideas Vince has been pitching me though."

"Sure." Mark responded, and then guided Adrielle onto the elevator. Both of them were relieved to reach his room without any further interruptions, though each for different reasons.

That night, when it came time to sleep, Mark settled himself in bed and waited for her to leave the bathroom. When she did finally exit the bathroom however, she did not go to her own bed. She padded over to Mark and slipped beneath the covers with him, snuggling close. Although she wanted to be invisible more than almost anything, the need to feel safe right now trumped that.

And Mark was safe. Very safe.

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**Author's Note: **So… let me know what you think. :)


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Clearly, I own nothing other than my OC lol. Anything between these / / and in _italics _is sign language :) Hope you enjoy.

* * *

The Only Exception

Chapter One

The girl was a little sullen as she sat in the passenger seat of Mark's car, not looking forward to being introduced to everyone. She had already heard Mark talking on the phone to Hunter and telling him to make sure people knew who she was. She hoped that her godfather would be an intimidating enough thought to people and they would ignore her.

When the car stopped in the secured area of the lot for superstars, she undid her belt and moved to slide over to the car door, pausing only when Mark touched her arm. She turned to him, looking straight at his lips since she knew he wasn't very good at signing.

"Adrielle, tonight you will get to meet my girlfriend, Michelle." He spoke clearly and slowly so she could easily make out all the words. She nodded in response, though she had little interest in meeting the woman. She had liked Sara but didn't think this new woman would compare.

Then she slid out of the car and waited for Mark to get his bag and join her. He wrapped his free arm around her to guide her inside and she couldn't help but feel trapped.

She walked the hallways with Mark, staring at her feet and trusting him to guide her.

"Hey! Taker!" a loud voice called out, though as usual her face remained impassive and she kept her eyes trained in the same spot on the ground.

"Hey John," Mark greeted him, pausing for a moment, so now she looked around, letting her eyes settle on the man in front of them. He was much taller than her, but of course shorter than her uncle, and she thought she recognised him as John Cena from the occasional times she had watched her godfather on TV.

"Is this your goddaughter?" Clearly Hunter had passed on the message.

"Yes, this is Adrielle," Mark said, nudging her slightly so she would know she was being spoken about. John offered her a hand at once, and so she took it, a little surprised when he kissed the back of her hand instead of shaking it.

"Nice to meet you, I'm John." He spoke a little faster than Mark might have, but slow enough that his words were easily legible on his lips. She nodded a little and then glanced up at Mark.

"I'm just going to show Adrielle to my locker room, introduce her to Michelle and then I'll meet you, Hunter and Vince, okay?" Usually he was the first one to the room but with Adrielle today he was taking a little more time.

"Sure thing, I'll see you there." John said, nodding at Adrielle with a smile before heading on his way. Meanwhile, Mark and Adrielle continued on the journey to his locker room.

A tall blond woman stood up from the couch when Adrielle and Mark walked in, greeting him with a happy, "Babe!" and rushing to his side to press a kiss to his lips. Immediately Adrielle found herself missing her Aunt Sara. Nonetheless she waited patiently to be introduced.

"Michelle, this is my goddaughter Adrielle, Adrielle, this is my girlfriend Michelle." His words slowed a little in the second half of the sentence and Adrielle knew this was for her. She shook hands with Michelle but when their eyes met she realised that neither of them liked or trusted the other. Mark, for once, seemed oblivious to this and actually smiled a little before speaking again.

"Sorry to throw you together quickly like this and run, but I need to go to a meeting. 'Chelle, can you take Adrielle to catering and introduce her to everyone." He spoke a beat slower than usual and once more Adrielle knew this was for her benefit.

"Sure babe." Michelle said, and Mark put his bags down, hugging them both before leaving the room.

The two women stood there awkwardly for a moment, almost staring each other down before Michelle sighed.

"Let's go." She said loudly, as if this would make a difference. Adrielle continued to look at her blankly for a moment before finally walking out the door. She let Michelle take the lead though, as she had no idea where catering was. When they got there, the place was full of people chatting amongst themselves, and soon Adrielle realised that her relationship with Michelle was never going to be a nice one.

"Everyone!" Michelle called out, and a silence came over the room. Adrielle avoided looking at Michelle, not wanting to see what came next.

"This is Adrielle, Mark's goddaughter. She's deaf, so be nice to her!"

'_Gee thanks Michelle._' She thought to herself, doubting that this announcement was because Michelle was trying to think in her best interest, but purely because the woman wanted to offload her sooner.

It worked too, a moment later, a bubble redhead rushed over to her, and she was signing. She introduced herself as Maria. Adrielle was a little startled, she hadn't expected anyone to sign, but she supposed she should have realised that in a big company like the WWE, someone was likely to be able to sign. She smiled a little at Maria – It was hard not to like her – and signed back an introduction of her own.

/_You want something to eat?_/ Maria signed, and Adrielle shook her head before signing back.

/_No thank you._/

Maria was beaming at her though, and tugged her over to a table that seated four men currently – Adrielle suspected that this was where Maria had bounced over from. The redhead began introducing each of the men, fingerspelling their names.

/_This is Randy, Ted, Cody and Mike. We can come up with signs for them later._/ She seemed so genuinely excited that Adrielle couldn't help but smile again.

/_Nice to meet you._/ She signed, allowing Maria to translate for her.

Upon the woman's insistence, she sat with them, either watching lips as people spoke or letting Maria translate the words into sign language. She even joined in on the conversation, noting that Maria seemed proud to show off her skills. She also noticed Mike's eyes on her the whole time and had to fight not to blush.

Later on, Maria said she would walk her back to Mark's locker room. Adrielle decided to take the chance to ask her a few questions.

/_So, why do you know how to sign?_/

/_My cousin is deaf, so I learned because I wanted to communicate with him._/

Adrielle couldn't help smiling yet again at the woman.

/_You are very good at it. How long have you been signing?_/

/_About five years now. I guess you have been signing your whole life?_/

/_Well yes. But I was born with full hearing. My dad was deaf though, so I learned so I could talk to him. I only lost my hearing after my mother died._/

A sad look passed over Maria's face and she said slowly, "I'm sorry." Adrielle reached out and squeezed her hand briefly, shaking her head a little at her, mouthing the words "Don't be."

Adrielle knocked on the door when they arrived and it swung open to reveal a worried looking Mark.

"I was so worried when Michelle came back without you!" He exclaimed, though with a slightly stern edge to his voice.

"Don't worry Taker, she was safe with me." Maria said, though she signed at the same time for Adrielle. Suddenly, after watching Maria sign confidently, Mark seemed to relax.

"I didn't know you knew sign language Maria…"

"My cousin is deaf, so I've been signing for a few years now."

"Thank you for taking Adrielle under your wing… and please, call me Mark."

Maria looked a little startled by the request (in fact, Adrielle herself was but she didn't allow herself to show it) but nodded. "No worries Mark."

/_I will see you again soon. I hope we can hang out?_/ Maria signed, and all Adrielle could do was nod.

So much for being invisible.

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**Author's Note: **Okay, hope you liked it! Would love to hear from you guys what you're thinking.  
UPDATE: I had to edit this chapter a little, somehow between the word document and uploading it here, a couple of sentences disappeared. It should be fixed now, but if you notice that something else seems to have a sentence missing, let me know.

Also, I wanted to clarify when Maria says "We'll come up with signs for them later", she means that they'll probably take the first letter of their name, finger spell it and add a twist so they know they're referring to that person.


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Clearly, I own nothing other than my OC lol. Anything between these / / and in _italics _is sign language :) Also, between - - and in italics is text messaging. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

The Only Exception

Chapter Two

Adrielle was now sitting in front of a TV screen at the gorilla. Mark had taken the time to explain that often this was where Vince sat to watch the show – but tonight she was alone. At least, she had been when Mark went out for his match.

She was well aware of someone sitting next to her but didn't look at them until there was a light touch on her arm.

"Hey." It was Mike. "Mind if I watch with you?" He asked. She shook her head a little and smiled at him before turning her head back to the screen.

"You're really pretty…" He said softly, then laughed at himself, "Jesus Mike, get up the guts to say it so she can actually realise what you're saying." She was a little shocked by what he said but carefully kept her face impartial. Only a few people had ever said she was pretty before and as far as she was concerned, they were biased (being family).

Soon after he touched arm again, and she turned to him. He looked like he was struggling with that he was going to say.

"I was hoping maybe we could hang out sometime?" He spoke slowly, not just for her but also because he was choosing his words carefully. She looked at him, surprised before slowly nodding.

"I'd really like to learn sign language... Maybe I can get Maria to teach me, so it's easier for us to talk." He said, and she smiled sweetly at him, though still surprised he would want to do that for her- to be able to talk to her and be around her.

"Mizanin?" Came her godfather's voice and the man jumped slightly.

"Taker!" He responded, jumping up out of his seat and offering Mark his hand. "I thought I'd keep Adrielle company. Maria introduced us earlier." Meanwhile, Adrielle stood up slower, smiling at her godfather when he looked over at her.

"He wasn't bothering you?" Mark asked, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Mike blush. She shook her head.

/_I like Mike._/ She signed, and watched Mark struggle to remember what he'd learned of sign language.

"Okay," He said when it clicked over in his head, "Well I'll let you two finish your conversation, but hurry back to my locker room when you're done- I'm showering, changing and then taking you and Michelle out to dinner." Adrielle nodded a little in response, although the barrage of words from his lips was a little heavier load to read from them. Mark nodded at Mike and then headed back to his locker room.

She turned back to Mike now, who took out his phone and offered it to her.

"Do you have a phone? We can text…" He offered. She nodded a bit and typed in her details before giving him back the phone. Then she pulled hers out and offered it to him, watching as he typed in his own details and saved them. A moment later he was texting her.

-_I'll walk you back to Taker's locker room =)_-

She nodded once again, and walked almost shoulder to shoulder with Mike to the locker room.

"I'll text you soon about us hanging out." Then he kissed her cheek and went on his way. For a moment, she stood there, stunned, and then she went into the locker room where it appeared she had perfect timing.

At dinner things were quiet, Adrielle felt awkward with Michelle there and she couldn't be expected to read lips and have a conversation if she was eating. Instead Mark and Michelle chatted amongst themselves and Adrielle was glad when she felt her phone vibrate.

-_Hey! Just me again. I was wondering what you'd like to do together?_-

It was Mike. She smiled a little bit to herself before contemplating how best to reply.

-_Maybe we can just hang out in your hotel room with a movie and some room service? It will be easier to focus and get to know each other this way._-

Why wasn't she resisting? Trying to be invisible. She should be scaring him away! But much like with Maria, she couldn't help but like Mike.

-_Sure, that's fine with me =)_-

She was certain he was trying hard not to put a foot wrong. Most people didn't know what to do when they went out with a deaf person, so she didn't blame him for asking her to make the choice.

-_Just let me know when._-

She slid her phone away now and realised that Mark was watching her.

"Who are you texting?"

/_Mike_/ She finger spelled- glad that even though he wasn't very good with words, Mark remembered how to finger spell. A cautious sort of look came over his face, but he nodded.

"You two planning something?"

/_Movies_/ She finger spelled this too, and Mark nodded a little.

"Alright." It sounded a little unsure but he didn't argue on it.

That night, at a different hotel, Adrielle was disappointed to realise that Michelle would be staying with them. She lay in the bed for hours, without ever slipping off and eventually wrote a note saying she was taking a walk. Adrielle wandered up to the roof and took a seat near the edge, but not close enough to panic anyone. After a few moments, someone sat down beside her. She turned to see who it was and found John Cena sitting there.

"Hey Adrielle… You okay?"

She shrugged a little in response and he frowned before pulling out a small notepad and offered it to her. After a moment of hesitation, she took it.

'_I just can't sleep_' She wrote in neat, loopy writing.

'_Something on your mind?_' He wrote back, although his writing was more of a messy scrawl.

'_It's just hard. Thinking about family… knowing they're gone…_'

The moment he read this he looped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in closer. Although reluctant in the beginning, she turned into John and cried silently into his chest as he rocked her, stroking her back soothingly. Her tears soon died down and then they just sat there for a while, and John began to pour his heart out, thinking that the deaf girl would be the perfect one to let him just voice his feelings.

"I can't sleep either," He began, gently stroking her hair. "Ever since I married Liz… things seem to have gotten worse. I thought that by giving her that commitment she would settle down… but I was wrong. She parties harder than ever… and I'm pretty sure she's cheating. I mean after those shots of her giving random guys a lap dance while her wedding ring was shining on her finger got leaked, it's hard not to think she's cheating."

Of course, Adrielle remained silent as he spoke, but she snuggled into him a little, innocently, in the hopes that it might make him feel a little better.

"I know you can't hear me, but I'm gonna say thanks for listening anyway 'Elle. It feels good to finally say it out loud. Especially since I know you won't run off and tell anyone. Actually, I get the sense you wouldn't tell anyone even if you could hear me." He kissed the top of her head and shifted slightly to write in the notepad again.

'_I should get you back to Mark._'

She sighed softly and nodded, taking the notepad to write '_Thank you_' on it.

John walked her to the room and gave her a hug, tilting her chin up so she could see his lips.

"You can talk to me anytime."

She smiled and nodded, pulling out her phone and offering it to him. He typed in his number and then buzzed his own phone so he would have hers.

"Hopefully you can sleep now." He said, and waited for her to walk into the room before heading back to his own. Thankfully Mark and Michelle were still asleep, so she got rid of her note and crawled into bed. Curling in on herself, she found that she could still smell John on her clothes. It was a comforting realisation and it helped to finally lull her to sleep.

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**Author's Note: **Okay! So I wrote this at work. I'm hoping that I'll be able to update it even though I'm back at uni as of tomorrow lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think :)


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Clearly, I own nothing other than my OC lol. Anything between these / / and in _italics _is sign language :) Also, between - - and in italics is text messaging. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

The Only Exception

Chapter Three

When Adrielle woke up, the hotel room was empty, save for a note. She recognised the all caps writing as Mark's, explaining that he and Michelle were going out. She was almost upset at how quickly her uncle had left her to fend for herself, but then realised that it was for the best if invisibility was what she wanted. She got up and readied herself for the day, dressing comfortably in some jeans and a simple t-shirt. She had just finished brushing her hair when there was a knock on the door- she figured it would be someone looking for Mark, since it was pointless to knock to get her attention, to keep up her charade she had to leave it.

Then her phone buzzed and the light on it flashed.

-_Hey! Knocked on the door and then realised it was kinda stupid of me. I'm at your room if you're interested in getting some breakfast?_ –John'

She padded over to the door, phone in hand and unlocked it, pulling it open to reveal John's smiling face. He held up a thick pad of paper with something written on it. He handed it to her and she studied his writing.

'_I bought this for you, figured it might come in handy! =)_'

She offered him a smile and raised a finger, requesting him to wait. He did so patiently while she retrieved her bag and then slid her arm through his when he offered it to her and let him lead the way to the elevator so they could get breakfast. Once they reached the little hotel restaurant she heard John's name being called, and followed the tug on his arm over to a table that seated Mike, Randy, a blonde man she didn't know, and Maria.

Maria bounced up out of her seat, signing and speaking at the same time to greet John and Adrielle, hugging the latter excitedly. Then she turned slightly to the table.

/_This is Dolph. He knows sign language too!_/

Maria's signing was so emphatic that Adrielle could tell this excited her. Dolph smiled a little at her before signing (and speaking for the others benefit).

/_Nice to meet you_/

/_Nice to meet you too_/ Adrielle signed back, and then Maria ushered her into the spot next to Mike.

For a little while, she studied the menu, eyes looking up only when Mike touched her arm. It was such a soft, affectionate touch- she didn't think that anyone had ever touched her like that before. Little goosebumps rippled up her spine and she smiled at Mike. He gestured at the menu and she knew he wanted to know what she was having. As she was pointing out her choice, for the first time in her life she felt guilty about her lie- luckily Mike was too busy reading her breakfast choice to notice the flash of emotion on her face.

He ordered for her when the waitress came, attentive to Adrielle's light touch on his arm as she pointed out the chocolate milkshake that she wanted too. For a moment, it was just the two of them in the room but then John laughed at something Randy said and broke the trance for Mike. Adrielle picked up the notepad John had bought her now, fishing a pen out of her bag.

'_Would you want to hang out today?_' She asked in her neat loopy writing before handing the paper over to Mike. He took the pen, sparks jolting through them both as their skin briefly touched.

'_I'd love that. What were you thinking of doing?_' His writing was neat, very different from John's chicken scratch, and it surprised her for a moment.

'_Like what I suggested before? Movies in your room?_' She knew she shouldn't encourage this if she wanted to be invisible, but she couldn't help herself. Mike made her feel different- he gave her little butterflies deep in her stomach… and she was happy when he agreed with her suggestion.

Their breakfast soon arrived, and the chatter around them ceased, although everyone laughed at the way John practically inhaled his food. Then, when they finished their food and Adrielle pulled out her wallet, no one would let her pay. Finally Mike took the chance to offer her his hand and she took it, allowing him to lead the way back to his room. He let her find a movie and set it up to get captions for her, the two of them getting settled on the bed. In the beginning, she simply sat next to Mike, yet before the movie was even halfway through she found herself sitting in front of Mike and leaning back into him. His arms were looped around her waist and his head rested on hers… and even though they hardly knew each other, she felt totally comfortable there with him.

"I was a little worried," came Mike's soft voice a little later, and she knew that much like Cena the night before, he needed to vent.

"I thought you might not be able to distinguish between The Miz and Mike. A lot of people can't. I'm so glad you gave me a chance. You're different to other women. So quiet… So genuine."

Inwardly she winced when he called her genuine, knowing her whole life was a lie.

"I just hope your godfather doesn't kill me for wanting to get to know you…" He trailed off, seemingly finished. Adrielle knew his concern was legitimate after Mark's initial reaction to Mike, but he seemed too busy with Michelle to care now.

She glanced behind her when she felt Mike shift, and realised he was getting the pad of paper that John had bought. When he turned back to her though, she put a hand over his and brought her other hand up to his face, running her thumbs over his lips in an indication that she would read them. He didn't know of course, but she secretly wanted to hear his voice. Touching his soft lips made her feel tingly all over again and it took everything in her not to lean forward and kiss him. Mike smiled against her touch, kissing her thumb as she began to pull it away.

"I want to get to know you… What's your favourite colour?" He asked slowly, and she reached out to take the dark red material of his shirt in her hands to show him. She watched him smile at her answer before lightly tapping his chest twice.

"You want to know mine?" He asked, and she nodded, pleased he had understood. "Purple," He told her, "But the deep, rich purple."

Their day progressed this way, and she even managed to teach Mike some helpful bits and pieces of sign language. She loved that he seemed to understand her so well- that he wanted to understand her and at the same time, hated herself for lying to him. She just couldn't see a way out of this.

It wasn't until dinner time that the both of them realised that they had skipped lunch, and Mike offered to take her to the restaurant so they could eat. She accepted, slipping her hands into Mike's and feeling a little girly and silly on the way down. Thankfully she wasn't too underdressed in the same jeans and tee she had worn that morning. This time, although they saw the others and waved, Mike made sure that they got a table for them alone. He sat beside Adrielle as they looked through the menu, their sides touching. It felt good being close to Mike.

The food was wonderful and she greatly enjoyed the way Mike made sure she didn't feel at all left out. They even shared a dessert. When they were done, Mike paid for it all and took her hand to lead her back to Mark's room (once she told him the number.)When they got there he paused outside the door, smiling at her.

"Thanks for today… I really enjoyed it and I'd like to do it again…" He said hopefully, glad when she smiled and nodded. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, not wanting to go too fast.

"Goodnight," He murmured, stepping back so she could go inside, turning to leave as she opened the door and stepped in.

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**Author's Note: **Okay! Finished this chapter today, and hopefully you'll get another one tomorrow :) I wrote this at work, so if there's anything wrong, let me know and I'll fix it up. Hopefully it all makes sense!  
Also! I tried to put a bunch of links up on my profile, but for whatever reason, my page doesn't seem to be showing them. I don't know if it's a site thing or what, but if you would like my tumblr, check out rawr-chanff ;)


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**Clearly, I own nothing other than my OC lol. Anything between these / / and in _italics_is sign language :) Also, between - - and in italics is text messaging. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

The Only Exception

Chapter Four

_"Goodnight," He murmured, stepping back so she could go inside, turning to leave as she opened the door and stepped in_.

Mike paused in his tracks as a loud moan came from the inside of the room, followed by a feminine shriek and then Mark's deep boom of surprise.

"Shit! Adrielle!" That was Mark's voice.

The next thing Mike knew, Adrielle was backing out looking pale and yanking the door shut. She looked up and her eyes connected with his immediately. He held out his hand automatically for her, and that was all it took. Adrielle rushed over to him and took his hand- by the time Mark came running out of the room half clothed to find her; both she and Mike were gone.

In the time it took to get to Mike's room, the paleness of her cheeks had transformed into a blush. He took her other hand now and guiding her over to the bed to sit down, tilting her chin up so that she would be looking at him while he spoke.

"You okay?" He asked, and she made a face at him that just about explained how awkward (and gross) it was for her to have walked in on her godfather and Michelle having sex. She made a motion for paper, and Mike collected it from her bag, that she had discarded by the door, handing it to her and waiting for her to write what it was she wanted to tell him.

'_I did not need to see that._'

He laughed, and she only wished she could express just how much she liked his laugh, but of course she wasn't even supposed to have heard it.

'_Sorry. I don't think anyone does. You're welcome to stay in here though, I'll take the couch._'

He was alarmed by how quickly she shook her head and then started to write.

'_You don't need to take the couch. We're both adults- we can share the bed._'

'_I don't want to make you uncomfortable._' He responded, and in return she smiled and put a hand lightly on his.

"You won't." She mouthed, and that was that.

They watched another movie together, and when Adrielle yawned, Mike fished out a shirt and some shorts that would be more comfortable for her to sleep in. She got changed in the bathroom and unwrapped the complimentary toothbrush the hotel offered so that she could brush her teeth. When she was done, Mike took over in the bathroom and she texted Mark to tell him that she would be staying elsewhere that night. She looked up right as Mike stepped out of the bathroom, only in boxers, and her breath caught in her throat for a moment. He was the most attractive man she'd ever met and suddenly all she wanted was to feel his skin on hers.

He noticed that she looked a bit like a deer caught in the headlights and once he was sure her eyes were on his lips he offered to put a shirt on. She shook her head though, and pulled the covers back, slipping under them and gesturing for him to join her. He did so, and she immediately moved to his side, snuggling into him and placing a hand on his chest so she could enjoy the feel of their skin touching, just like she had wanted to.

She looked up and their eyes locked, both of them knowing they were sharing a moment, and a powerful one at that. There was no need to attempt to communicate in any other way, everything that needed to happen in that moment was passed between their eyes. Finally, Adrielle looked away, taking a deep breath and putting her head down on his bare chest, body relaxing into him as he began to stroke her hair. He was warm, and she could hear and feel his heartbeat, and it only served to make her feel more comfortable there with him.

Tonight she had no problems falling asleep- the world felt right when she was in Mike's arms.

~/~

Mike woke up about an hour too early, and when he found he couldn't get back to sleep, he turned his eyes to Adrielle, studying her sleeping face and her small frame pressed up against his side. A woman had never fit quite so perfectly against him before. It took him a few moments to realise that he had begun stroking her hair automatically; it seemed to already be ingrained in him. Eventually those beautiful blue eyes opened and looked up at him, Adrielle smiling sweetly.

"You're beautiful." He told her, and she reached out to touch his face, running a thumb over his cheeks.

/_You too._/ She signed for him, hoping he remembered what she had started to teach him, and also hoping that he understood that she thought he was handsome.

The smile on his face seemed to indicate that he understood and after a moment she dropped her face back down against his chest with a content smile of her own, enjoying the way his hand now shifted to her back and began to stroke it. It just felt so right here with him.

She didn't startle when his alarm went off, but he shifted, turning it off and then tilting her head up for attention.

"We gotta leave for the airport today, so you should probably get ready. We can have breakfast and, I guess, find 'Taker." He spoke slower for her benefit and she nodded before reluctantly pulling away from him.

/_Thank you._/ She signed and he shook his head a little, smiling, before returning the sentiment.

Half an hour later they were both headed downstairs for breakfast, hand in hand once more. It was nothing official but they both felt comfortable together. Neither of them noticed Mark and Michelle in a corner booth as they walked past.

"What do you think you're doing with my goddaughter Mizanin?" Mark's loud voice boomed as he stood up from his table. Mike paused and then turned so quickly that Adrielle ran into him.

"Getting breakfast, 'Taker." He said as bravely as he could with Mark staring him down. Adrielle turned around now too as it was obvious to anyone that something was happening.

"Oh yeah? And you're holding her hand! Did you take advantage of her last night too?" Mark demanded, voice getting even louder with every word. He took a step closer and Adrielle felt Mike's hand twitch within her own.

Instead of letting her godfather intimidate Mike further, she pulled her hand from his and stepped forward to meet Mark when the man took another step, putting her hand firmly against his chest.

"Adrielle," He growled as he looked down at her, and she angrily shook her head, pushing against his chest with her hand in an attempt to tell him to back off. As he opened his mouth to talk again, she raised a hand and shook her head.

Then she stepped back, turned and promptly took Mike's hand again to lead him over to a table, ignoring Mark's angry growl, though Mike looked back nervously.

/_Sorry._/ She signed to him once they were back at their table, glad she had been able to teach him some basics. He smiled at her and shook his head a little.

"You're worth it." He told her, neglecting to mention the fact that Mark was practically spouting steam from his ears as he left both loudly and angrily.

When they finally got to the airport, Mark wouldn't even look at either of them, and it was Michelle who handed her bags over. Well, dropped them on the floor in front of them actually, before huffing off. Adrielle sighed, leaning into Mike, who wrapped a comforting arm around her. On one hand, she felt bad that she had upset Mark, but on the other hand she knew it wasn't her fault that he was being over-protective to the point of childishness.

Mike nudged her, so she glanced up at him and watched him as he signed.

/_Sorry._/

She frowned and shook her head, kissing his cheek lightly. It wasn't Mike's fault. He took her hand when their flight was called and lightly tugged her to her feet, wrangling their bags in his other hand before escorting her to the plane. Thankfully she wasn't seated by Mark; although unfortunately she was not seated with Mike either. Actually, she wound up next to Dolph, and Mike was glad she had someone who would be able to understand her with her on the flight.

"I'll see you when we land," He told her, smiling when she nodded. He put her carry-on luggage into the overhead compartment for her and then leaned in to kiss her cheek. Adrielle settled into her seat beside Dolph and turned to watch Mike as he left for his own seat, a smile on her face.

* * *

**Author's note: **Okay, updating today like I promised on the tumblr (rawr-chanff)! I'm going to try to get updates out for Sweet Sacrifice and Nothing Lasts Forever soon too; I don't want to neglect them. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and let me know if anything was majorly wrong somehow lol.


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